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The cheapest gifts in Ixtapan De la Sal near Ixtapan Spa
Here are the ‘budget’ gifts usually bring back from Mexico, and they are sold in Ixtapan de la Sal
(home of Ixtapan Spa):
1- Vanilla. Vanilla is cheap in Mexico, not as sweet as the Asian one but rich and fantastic in things like rice pudding and other creamy foods. Cost: $3 ish
2- Tajin: a mix of sea salt, chili, and desiccated lime. Makes the dullest food taste amazing with a slight pop and a lime aftertaste. All-natural. Cost $1 more or less.… -
Tips for Women on their First Spa Vacation
Tips for Your First Spa Visit: from The Women’s Travel Group
* Go for at least 4 nights
* Meet with spa coordinators immediately…
* Choose a spa that fits your needs; overseas spas emphasize beauty rather than exercise, nutrition etc.
* Some spas are really resorts with a few spa facilities.
* A good gauge of a spa is the number of professionals on staff and the number of treatment rooms.
* Does the manicurist also do facials; if so, this is not a true spa.… -
How to get a cheaper ticket to unusual destinations
Here is a way to experiment with an on-line search for airline tickets. I needed a ticket to Pisa for our Italian Cooking Tour March 29-April 5, 2014. Pisa is not a major airport but it is served by British Airways an American Airlines code share in One World. I searched first on American as I am a fflyer and prefer to have the miles added there. AA schedules with British Airways, so I could get there easily on the aa.com…
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Winter Warm Trips: Vietnam and Cambodia
Indochina Women’s Tour Why return to Florida or Puerto Rico when you can have a real experience plus winter sun. March is the time when most of us flag, look and feel blah and are anxious for some early blossoms.
This year, take a trip to SE Asia for the same cost as boring old Florida. And here is what you will receive:
A fabulous itinerary with gorgeous landscapes, exotic sites, and UNESCO World Heritage experiences.
The best restaurants and local food as SE Asia have become a culinary center.…
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Tips for Mother-Daughter Travel
When You vacation with your Boomer Mom: It’s Travel in the Slower Lane, or is it?
The Women’s Travel Group has some Mother-Daughter Combos though most of our women travel solo. Here are suggestions for you if you are thinking of asking Mom to join you:
Budget an additional 10% expense to trip for taxis not just for walking but more for luggage weight.
You be the Treasurer and the easy way to do this is to both put money in a ziplock and pay each shared bill from it.…
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When Not to Take a River Cruise
I just returned from the most fabulous Christmas Markets Danube cruise on AMAWaterways. The trip was perfect. In some places, we suggest a land trip as the major sites are not on the river.
The Women’s Travel Group has chosen to visit Vietnam and Cambodia, not on a cruise. The places of greatest interest are on land. We are staying in fine luxury hotels, going to famous restaurants, and have included both the glorious and gritty history of the area. Our shopping times are saved for the fine stores recommended by friends, not for tourist traps.…
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Holiday Gifts for Women Travelers
Here are our choices for Holiday Gifts for Women who Adore Traveling.
A lesson in using your phone as a camera. A smart phone has many applications which are free or close to free. But for electronic idiots like me, they can be hard to understand. Many camera stores, libraries and Apple stores give lessons. I learned how to take quick unnoticed photos without clicking the aperture! Women travelers are less likely to be electronically savvy.
Better suitcase: the best suitcases for us women are those that swivel so you can drag or ‘walk’ your case.…
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Ixtapan versus Ixtapa
Since we are getting many new requests for Ixtapan Spa Discount Week, Feb. 9-16… let’s spell the place right. Many Mexican words have ‘x’ in them, I think the Spanish substituted x for difficult indigenous words they could not pronounce.
Ixtapan de la Sal (Sal being salt) is a mountain village long known as a place with mineral waters and one where affluent Mexicans have weekend homes. Ixtapa is a beach resort with modern hotels and cruise ships. So if you are planning to come, be aware that we will be in gorgeous mountains in a colonial village, with cool evenings and mainly dry days.…
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Most important item women forget to pack for Holiday Travel
One pair of loose slacks! We all gain weight at Thanksgiving and yet forget to bring along one pair of looser slacks. There is nothing so uncomfortable as traveling in tight clothes especially those which are binding around the waist.
In addition blood clots can form if you cut off circulation. If you think you can unzip once you are seated, remember few domestic flights carry blankets anymore so you will need some Houdini moves.
So to be comfortable on the way home, pack that generous pair of trousers, along with non-elasticized socks and eat and cheat all the way home.…
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Avoiding the Single Supplement
Catherine Hamm of the Los Angeles Times published an article about The Women’s Travel Group’s unique room share guarantee. She asked me why women would share and how do we explain this guarantee when women call us.
Here goes: more women share today than ever, because of the rising cost of hotels and related cost of single supplements. Hotels will not waive this cost so the discussion of getting rid of supplements is a poof in no one’s ears.
We guarantee everyone who asks for a share, that she will get one.…